Vapor generator



Aug. 22, 1939. E. G, BAILEY VAPOR GENERATOR Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 16 SheetS-Sheefl 1 ELIA! INVENTOR N mi ' Fri/fn G Bal/ey @QR XW. ATTORNY I Agg. 22, 1939. E. G, BAILEY VAPOR GENERATOR 16 Shets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. l18, 19:55

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. mvENTOR Erw/7 6 .Bai/ey k-QW ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1939. E Gf BAlLEY y 2,170,343' l VAPOR GENERATOR Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 oooooooooocooo KT ATTORNEY E. G. BAILEY VAPOR GENERATOR 16 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 Aug. 22, 1939.

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E. G. BAILEY VAPOR' GENERATOR Aug. 22, 1939.

1e sheets-sheet -5 Original Filed Deo. 18, 1935 INVENT rwnBai/ey OR t ATTORNEY E. G. BAILEY 2,170,343

vAPoR GENERATOR y Original Filed D'ec. 18, 1935 y16 Sheets-Shet 6 mvENToR l y.rwn 6. Bai/eyl Qwzml- ATTORNEY' Aug. 22, 1939.

Aug. 22,- 1939. E. G. BAILEY VAPOR GENERATOR Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 MbN fm @www K ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1939. E. G. BAILEY VAPOR GENEAToR Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 Aug- 22, 1939- E. G. BAILEY 2,170,343

vAPoR'GENERAToR Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheel'l 9 Fi [4 g I il z ff 1 f if my A no; nor A 'nor ,i A fas f f5 g: s 5 g? s R 1 i /15 i Lf f H f I i t f' A Hm H 5 R @As x T A GAS H I 0T R GAS 74 Figc 5 l ATTORNEY v Aug. 22,. 1939. E. G-BA|LEY VAPOR GENERATOR 18, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet l1 ffl/1.1? G BQIIINENTOR W ATTORNEY Agg. 22, 1939. E. G. BAILEY 2,170,343

VAPOR GENERATOR Original Filed Dec. 18, 1955 Fig 26 16 Sheets-Sheet l2 PNXM ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1939. E; G. BAILEY 2,170,343

VAPOR GENERATOR Original 'Filed Dec. 18, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet l5 R 0 m y mw a B. 6 .m w Z XW ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1939.

E. G. BAILEY VAPOR GENERATOR Original Filed Dec. 18, 1955 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 a LS@ .Slab

ffl/i12 CBai/'JENTOR L@ ,W ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1939. Q E. G. BAILEY 2,170,343

VAPOR GENERATOR Original Filed Deo. A18, 1955 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1939. E Gi BAlLEY 2,170,343

' VAPOR GENERATOR I Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 16 -Sheets--Sheet 16 Figi' 4'/ Z one of Increased Spi/lover Wafer Leve! in Sepzvzraar Zane af Wafer Pam/n Bypass- Wafer Lex/el in Sepa/afar Lower Safety Limit l .Skil/aver Connection INVENTOR Erw/7 ai/ey Patented Aug; 22, 1939 uluriao STATES .PATENT QFFICE .VAPOR GENERATOR Ervin G. Bailey, Easton, Pa., assignor to The Babcock & Wilcox Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application December 18, 1935, Serial No. 55,020. Divided and this application June'l,

193'8, Serial No. 212,870

8 Claims.

power plants are subjected in locomotive and marineapplications, and for which greatl flexibility is a requisite.

l Heretofore, engineering development has failed to provide any practicable vapor pressure power plant of high efliciency, adapted, in principle and construction; for a large range of sizes, and capable of meeting the same operating conditions ll of mobile service, but requiring more power than small automobiles, while still retaining the desir- :able light weight-- and small dimension characteristics' necessary for competition with internal combustion engines requiring special high zo pricedfuels.

Present day accepted, or standard`,"vapor gen- Ierating equipment leaves the problem of a light weight, eicient and reliable vapor generator unsolved in that such modern equipment depends 25 upon large bulk of metal and refractory mass,

With great liquid storage, thus rendering it un- ;suitable for quick change of vapor output volume by reason of the capacity for heat storage inherent in the bulk of solid and liquid masses, and

30 which masses further render such equipment unsuitable due to enormous weight and lack of compactness. -v

For quick changes of vapor capacity required for stops, starts and alteration of speed or, -in

35 other words, to meet the' requirement of flexibility, heat storage in the generator must always be at a minimum `so that feed of fuel and working liquid' may be synchronized with 'vapor output,

and standby and upkeep charges kept at a mini- 40 mum. vInvaddition to reduction of heat storage tol as near zero as possible, flexibility, in a unit of this character also demands automatic maintenance of proportioning of elements of combustion, heat liberatedand absorbed, to working l V4,15 liquid fed, with maintained balance of. working liquid feed to rate of delivery or use of 'vapor generated; such regulation would be impossible without low. enough heat storage,A and without suitable controls."

closures of lightest weight are required and must be made of steel tubes of the smallest practicable 6a diameters, and there must be the least possibleuse of large diameter headers and drums, those which are used must be of the smallest possible diameter. Such metal enclosure limitations pre- 'clude the use of natural circulation of the liquid with conversion of liquid to vapor and therefore dictate some other means of avoiding overheating of metal used to transfer heat of the fuel to 'the lliquid being vaporized and to the vapor being superheated.

High eihciencyof vapor generationffrom fuel 10 heat requires not only that combustion `vbecompleted within the furnace space, and that the least possible excess air be present at all loads from zero to maximum, but, also, that the heating surface shall be properly disposed with reference to the furnace and theproducts ofcombustion to promote heat absorption to-the greatest degree through heating surface exposed within the furnace area and beyond it. This requirement for least weight thus imposes a need for high rates of heat absorption per square foot of y heating surface in order that the 'high degree of absorption of heat for high efllciency is attained with a minimum of surface area.

For the greatest compactments, the furnace must bel as smally as possible, and the shape of it A must be at sided. Smallest Ypossible 'furnace size requires the *highest possible heat liberation rate from combustion of fuel, B. t. u./hr./cu. ft., and for highest efliciency this must be accomplished with the least possible excess air and no un.- burned fuel. Flat'furnace sides or boundaries, associated with the requirement of a minimum refractory use require that small bore tubes be arranged side by side in contact to providev the necessary at walls with substantially continuous metal surface, for the furnace and other hot gas zones, in addition to arrangement for other requirements.

The present invention, therefore, hasy as one 40 object, a drumless forced flow vapor pressure generator wherein the metal and refractory masses, as well as the liquid content, are at a minimum, in combination with a wide rangev heat source, and arrangements of heat transfer surface such 5 that time lag in transmutation of raw fuel energy to heat of delivered vaporis a mattei-of seconds, and with a large fraction of fuel energy rendered available.

f Additionally, the inventionembodies apparatus andmethodsiof operation such thatv trieb` pacity for thefsmall weightand spacepccupiedjadaptsffI the equipment for application where dimensions and weight considerations have previously dictated use of the internal combustion engine. 63

Furthermore, the invention is a vapor generator of small size per unit of capacity, thus providing a generator which, regardless of size, is capable of almost instantaneous load swing from maximum to minimum, and vice versa, while maintaining a high degree of overall efciency rendered possible by the combination of a multiplicity of long small 'bore fluid flow passages connected in parallel, the generating sections of which are constantly protectively Wet, and with heat absorbing surface disposed and arranged for yoperation in connection with the path of the hot gases of combustion from a Wide range heat source, such that there is insured loW thermal resistance from heat sourcev `ing lliquid is received at the cooler end of the gas passage and from there enters the several small bore passages through fluid ow restriction means for each passageequalizing the division o-f liquid betweenthem, such equalizing means being a flow resistance greater than that of the particular passage it serves.

These tube passages, arranged toform furnace Walls, are subject tothe heat of the furnace and comprise floor, roof, end, and side Walls. The assembly is `formed of continuous substantially ...(:Qntacting tubeylengths required to be sealed on the exterior side only by a gas tight casing material and a. substance of 10W thermal conductivityl and light Weight, refractoriness notv being essential.V Thus the Weight of thev assembly yand space occupied are kept at a medium; and the heat storage is .confined to the thin vmetal Walls of the smallbore tubes forming the heat absorbing surface, and tothe .very small vquantity of fluid contained therein, whereby such heat stor- 1 age is consequently,instantaneously available for utilization. y -f f Another .feature of the .invention iswthe arrangement of thecontinuous long small bore tubes so that they not only forrnat IWalls of at least cfive sides of the furnace, but, also, so that certainportions of their length cross the stream of hot gaseous productsof combustion to lpro-y i mote, heat transfer, without interruption in the long lengths such as result ffrom jointed connections, and beyond the furnacethey. provide for a greater fraction lof the,lengths to be exposed to transverse flow `of gases and a smaller fraction to form. the Wall. v

. A still yfurther feature of 'the tube arrangement residesin establishinga suitablev direction of flow of the working medium, as to levels, in those portions `of the lengths, in,wall sectionsfor else-` lWhere, where vapor is being generated, or where vvapor and liquid maybe flowing together, so that the flowis at one4 level-or always upwardto a higher level, .but never toa lower Alevel, thereby .preventing formationI ofy vaporA pockets at high points at lower rates of,y nuid ,f jlow such vapor y pockets being recognized as sources of danger; from overheating of tubes tat such, locations and resulting in damage to the generators, and probable interruption to lserviceiof the same, with in-.

.crease in E10st ofV maintaining the generator in serviceableconditiom Y l l Arising from the necessityfor4 amultiplicity of,y y 75 tubes connected inparallel and thesmallness 0f bore for large vapor capacity, so large, in fact, as to require more than one tube of the desired small bore, is the shaping, by bending of the tubes sothat each one of the tubes may be positioned to receive the\same amount of heat from the hot gases by radiation and convection, notwithstanding variations in intensity of the heat source along the path of flow from burner to gas exit, consistent with equalization of feed of liquid to the several tubes to insure equal generating capacity in each and to equalize the condition of the fluid delivered from each, while also providing equalization of condition of the several parts of the total fluid from the multiple tubes even if lthe liquid supplied to each is not the same, such being accomplished by suitable change in position of the tubes or a change in length.

Further, invention resides in the means for insuring synchronization of total heat liberated to total-liquid fed, and equalization of the latter to total vapor delivered, continuously and automatically, by controls and auxiliaries cooperating with the other features enumerated.

Also, a feature of the invention is in preventing overheating of tubes when vapor is being generated, this feature residing in the-arrangement of tubes and in the cooperation of the auxiliaries rand control means to insure that such vapor generating parts of the lengths of the tubes are maintained wet inside, while promoting vaporization to as near complete as practicable, consistent with adequate terminal wetness.

'A further feature is in the superheating of the vapor produced, by a minimum of tube surface without overheating the tubes, such being accomplished by removal of unvaporized liquidl before the fluid enters the superheater, and by arrangement of thesuperheater tubes With reference to other tubes lto insure that radiant heat ofthe furnace shall be screened therefrom While gases approaching the superheater are hotI enough, but not too hot, and are no more than sucient to provide for maximum vapor temperature desired when most efficiently swept by the hot gases.v

An additional feature is in a metallically integral Welded connection of endsof high pressure tubes where straight tube lengths are in contact to form al flat furnace lWall and .reverse the ow in alternate tubes when connected ends'form a warnend.v v

A feature of the yinvention* is in thel bending and arrangement of the tubesy extending horizontally across the stream of hot gases, in one part .of their length, and forming aV Wall in another part, whereby ,the upper tiers are supported by llower ones in gas zones of different temperature,an`d arranged suitably differentfor Vapor generating,Vv superheating and yeconornizer surfaces.

Additionally the invention has vas'afeature the burner units and supply of elements of combustionlto insure Wide range, short flame, and high M. volume combustion rate.

Still another l'feature is the superheater arrangement which prevents damage by overheat- .ing while starting the vapor generator, during the, period fafter combustion begins but before vapor flow' through, the generator is established, whilernaintaining at a minimum the time lag in the delivery of superheated vapor, in combination with the features of the control system.

'Ihe invention embodying all of these features, and. others, has for its general object,the successfulfulflllrnent of all the conditionsthat must be met .asfto high elllciency, 'high flexibility, low

envases Weight, and small space occupied for motive power units capable of competing with internal combustion engines in sizes larger than those for small automobiles. No vapor generator known thus far has been able to fulfill these conditions, whereas the vapor generator of the present invention does fulfill them, there already being in operation one generator built according to the presentl invention and which has been and is now being subjected to long and severe tests, andwhich has a capacity of 22,000 pounds of steam per hour, weighs 22,000 pounds, and occupies a space 8' 9" high x 4 8" wide X 20' 0" long.

In the accompanying drawings illustrative o the invention- Fig. .1 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement of the heat absorbing surface of a vapor generator according to the present invention and indicative of the path of gas flow and flow of working fluid.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the vapor generator and auxiliaries.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the generator shown in Fig. 2. f

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional plan View on the line iof Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the arrangement and support of the elements shown in Fig. 6. y

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing stream lined bodies between tubes in the path of the ilow of the gases of combustion on line S-t of Fig. 5.

Fig. l is a sectional view on the planet-'i of Fig. 2,'in perspective, showing the arrangement of some of the heat absorbing surface. A

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on the plane of line 8 8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8A is a similar View on the plane of line Bil-0A of Fig. 3.

Fig 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 on the plane of line S--S of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is an end view, partly in section of theburner and its mounting.

Fig. 1l is a sectional side elevation on the plane of line H -ii of Fig. 10. l

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the air heater assembly.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view on .fthe plane of line I3-I 3 of- Fig. 12, which line has also been applied to Fig. 2 in order to more clearly designate the structure.`

Fig. 14 is a transverse sectional view on the line lli-M of Fig. 15.

Fig. -15 is a transverse sectional view of the plane of line l 5 4 5 of Fig. 14;.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view, partly broken away, and with the casing removed, to show the arrangement of tubes providing the furnace wall and the location of tube portions across the gas stream. A

Fig. 17 is a perspective View, partly broken away, and Awith the casing removed, to show the arrangement of economizer and superheater, and it is to be noted that this view may be superimposed upon that of Fig. 16 to afford a complete assembly of the heat absorbing surface and fur- Fig. 18 is a fragmentary view showing the manner .in which straight conduit or tube lengths comprising the flow passage may be assembled by return bends of zero radius to form a fiat solid furnace wall requiring no refractory facing.

Fig. 19 is a sectional view on the plane of line |9-'-|9 of Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a sectional view on the plane of the line 20--20 of Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is an end view of the cap for forming the zero radius inter-tube connection or return bend.

A arator through the path of thehot gases.

Fig. 26 is a sectional view on the line 26-26 of Fig. 25.

Fig. 27 is a sectional side elevationof the sealing means for tubes passing through the division plate.

y Fig. 28 is a perspective view of a tube portion as bent to form part of the fla-t walls for two sides and the rear of the furnace.

Fig. 29 is a perspective view of a tube portion as bent to form another part of the flat walls for ytwofsides and the rear of a furnace, and also a part of a tube bank swept by hot gases in the rear end of the furnace cooperating with a tube bent as in Fig. 28 for the rest of the two sides and the rear wall.

Fig. 30 is a perspective view of another tube portion bent to form a part of the floor of the furnace before a second part is bent to form a part of the two side walls and the rear wall.

Fig. 3l is a perspective view of a tube portion bent to form a part of the roof of the furnace and leaving a space between the end of the roof and the end of the furnace for gases to rise upward past the roof level, this part of the tube being beyond the part that forms a part of the two side walls and the rear wall.

Fig. 32shows a tube bent to form a part of the economizer between an inlet and an outlet header, said headers being vertical, these sections of the tube forming, respectively, a horizontal iiat coil transverse to the gas iiow, a pair of cross loops to support a ilat coil above it, and a section of wall of the gas passage on opposite sides; two sets of such tubes alternately bent inopposibe directions and all supported from the bottom comprise the economizer.

Fig. 33 shows a tube bent to form a part of the superheater between the vertical inlet and vertical outlet headers, two sections of the tube forming, respectively, a horizontal fiat coil transverse of the gas flow stream and sections of the walls of the gas passage on opposite sides and the end above the end of the furnace. Two sets of such tubes alternately bent in opposite directions starting from two inlet headers and ending in one outlet header alternate at successive levels'complete the side walls and the end wall, and are to use and toa bleeder valve placed in advance 75,-

and used in starting prior to opening the throttle.

Fig. 35 diagrammatically illustrates the drumless forced ow vapor generator of the present invention adapted to and combined with the requisite auxiliary and control apparatus for the functioning thereof, as the generator of steam for a steam prime mover of a transportation motive power plant.

Fig. 36 diagrammatically illustrates the drumless forced flow vapor generator of the present invention, with a somewhat diffrent and alternate arrangement of control apparatus than that 0f Fig. 35.

Fig. 3 7 is a sectional elevation of a pilot valve.

Figs. 38, 39 and 40 are valve elements of pilot valves to an enlarged scale.

Figs. 41, 42 and 43 are graphs explanatory of the operation of the control apparatus in relation to the functioning of the generator.

Fig. 44 is a detail of a part of the control apparatus of Figs. 35 and 36, in modified form.

In detail- The forced flow vapor generator constituting this invention is diagrammatically illustrated` in Fig. l to indicate gas flow, working fluid flow and sequence of contact with sections of the heat absorbing surface as contained within the enclosure represented by the dot and dash line indicators of the casing walls.

The flow path for the liquid and its vapor is comprised of several long small bore tubes 200, 201, 208, 200, 2l0 connected in parallel, five being here shown, interrupted by an enlargement at the end of the vapor generating section which acts as a separator or collector 232 to divide vapor and liquid, the saturated vapor passing therefrom without liquid to a superheater 202, a portion of the entering liquid being carried through the tubes to the separator 232 for the purpose of tube metal wetness and preventing solid deposits. This unvaporized liquid is finally diverted out of therflow path at the separator 232 and Withdrawn under regulated conditions as will be hereinafter set forth.

The parts of the generator are arranged on two levels within vertical walls common to both. The

vlower level is occupied by the flat sided furnace,

.is occupied by the superheater 202 which is screened from the radiant heat of the furnace partly by its position and partly by the lower level tube bank 228. The upper level is also occupied by the Yeconomizer 202 at the cooler gas end, by certain connections and by the separatorcollector 232 located between the economizer. 202 and the superheater 202.

The generator includes an economizer 202 at the cooler end of the gas passage receiving liquid from a positive displacement pump 280, the speed of which determines the quantity fed, as shown, connected to the hot Well or other liquid source with a suitable feed liquid heating dei economizer 202 comprises adjacently 1o.,....ed upright inlet and outlet headers 200 and 20l-, respectively (Figs. 3, 4 and 7), connected by the horizontal fiat sinuous tube coils in parallel, as shown, forming a transverse tube bank 202 and the surface of whichis preferably so proportioned with respect to liquid input, quantity and liquid pressure, and.togas quantity and local gas temperature and relative gas and liquid speed that there is substantially no vapor formed therein, or actually none.

Liquid from the economizer outlet header 20| is conveyed by a tube 203 to a manifold tube 204 from which the liquid is then divided into equal partsI to the several long tubes of the generating section. In this instance, there are five long small bore tubes in the generating section, and ve liquid flow resistors 205, each of which resistors has a greater ow resistance, or pressure drop, than the particular long generating tube which it serves, to insure equal division of the liquid delivered to each of the long tubes 206, 201, 208, 209 and 2|0 constituting the generating section of the assembly and which comprises flat f'loor, two side walls, and roof portions of the furnace, and a tube bank at the end of the furnace as will be later set forth.

The long length of each of these generating tubes is divided into portions through which the unitary fluid flows successively, but always horizontally and upwardly as vapor is formed to thereby avoid vapor pockets, and each is given a special shape and position in a particular Way, so as to form flat bare metal walls and the tube bank, and to receive the same amount of heat consistent with equal liquid feeds, and equal and desired condition of vapor delivered.

The first part of the length of each of the five generating tubes is bent to form' a flat coil of the full length and one fifth of the width of the furnace floor, and one of these fifths is shown in Fig. 30, the inlet end being supplied from the liquid distributor connector or manifold 204 through a resistor 205.

The outlet ends of the first part of the length of each of the generating tubes forming part of the furnace floor are connected to the inlet ends of the second part of the length which are disposed to form fiat side and end walls, and the furnace tube bank 228. These connections are made by. carrying each tube across the front of the furnace on the fioor and upward at one side to tubes at different levels in the side wall, as at 2H, 2l2, 2|3, 2l4 and 2|5, where the tube diameter is somewhat enlarged to allow for the volume of vapor to be formed.

'Ihe second portion of the length of a generating tube is bent around two sides and the rear end of the furnace wall starting at the front end of one side wall and ending at the front end of the other side wall, and then by a return bend of zero radius is vbrought to a higher lever, the tube, by reason of the zero radius of the bend, returns in contact with the next adjacent portion to the starting' point, reversing thus as many times as is necessary to form a fifth of the height of the furnace, as shown in Fig. 28. To form a tube bank 228 in the rear of the furnace and inside of its walls, each alternate tube in the height is given an additional bend to pass several times, here shown as four, across the furnace, starting and ending at one side wall as shown in Figs. 9, 16 and 29.

Where a tube reverses at the end of a side Wall to rise from lower to the next higher level, it is kept in contact by a zero radius return bend which is also without projection on the outside so that adjacent return bends may contact `to permit contact of adjacent tube portions, such return bend will .be described in detail later; thus 

